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In particular, those from rich and poor backgrounds can react very differently.

The study, published in the journal Human
Nature, also found that women whose parents were well-off became
choosier about a mate when they could hear time ticking away.

'Engrained': Researchers said the idea that a woman's ability to have a child is controlled by a biological clock is deeply engrained. So, females may associate a ticking sound with their childbearing years slipping away

Interestingly, men’s attitude towards settling down and having a family wasn’t influenced by the ticking clock.

The Florida State University researchers said: ‘Women’s reproductive capacity is strongly constrained by their age.

‘Unlike men, who can produce offspring until a very old age, women lose their ability to conceive children at menopause.

‘Subtle clues that signal the passage of time – such as the perception of a ticking clock – may signal threats to a woman’s reproductive potential.’